Road House (2024): Film Review
I liked the original Road House a lot when I caught up with it last year so I’m glad Doug Liman opted for a reimagining rather than a straight-up remake.
This film stars Jake Gyllenhaal as Dalton, a former UFC fighter who is hired to be the bouncer of the Road House, a rowdy bar in the Florida Keys owned by Frankie (Jessica Williams). The bar is damaged constantly by troublemaking customers and violent brawls and she wants Dalton to clean it up. The new role put him in the crosshairs of local businessman Ben Brandt (Billy Magnussen), who has his own plans for the establishment.
This Road House feels different from the outset thanks to its new location. Transplanting the story from a town in the American Midwest to a beachfront location in the Florida Keys gives it a different vibe and makes it feel instantly fresh and exciting. It signals from the get-go that this is not a bog-standard remake.
It also feels different thanks to its increased focus on the fights. Sure, there were plenty of brawls in the original but this one feels like more of a mindless action movie. There are extended fight sequences that are well-choreographed, brutal and visceral. The sequences between Gyllenhaal and his main adversary Knox (Conor McGregor) are brilliant; it feels like they are genuinely trading blows and getting injured. While the hand-to-hand combat is impressive, the other action setpieces are less so because of the terrible – and I mean terrible – VFX.
Gyllenhaal is in incredible shape, with rock-hard abs and massive biceps, but he somehow doesn’t exude sexiness like his predecessor Patrick Swayze. A big component of the original was Dalton’s relationship with Kelly Lynch‘s Elizabeth, but sex and romance have less of a presence here. Dalton’s relationship with nurse Ellie (Daniela Melchior) feels unrealistic and unnecessary and I didn’t like the 16-year age gap between them.
McGregor makes his big screen debut here and he cannot act. However, this works well for his unhinged psychopath character and he’s incredibly funny, whether that is intentional or not. His introduction is brilliant and his first time in the Road House is one of the most memorable scenes.
The original Road House had more of a well-rounded story with a sexy central romance and villains with strong motives. However, this version prioritises the action and brings it up to date for a new generation. It’s not as good as its predecessor but it is still a lot of fun.
On Prime Video now